Owned by the City of New York, the High Line is a public park maintained, operated, and programmed by Friends of the High Line, in partnership with the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation.

Plant of the Week: Brome-like Sedge

By Erika HarveyApril 29, 2013

This native sedge displays subtle fluffy blooms this time of year

The High Line’s planting design is inspired by the self-seeded landscape that grew up between rail tracks after the trains stopped running in the 1980s. Today, the High Line includes more than 300 species of perennials, grasses, shrubs, and trees — each chosen for their hardiness, adaptability, diversity, and seasonal variation in color and texture. Some of the species that originally grew on the High Line’s rail bed are reflected in the park landscape today.

This week we share with you one of our gardeners’ current favorites.

Brome-like sedge, or Carex bromoides, is a native grass found on most of the eastern United States and Canada, most commonly in wetlands or swamps. While sedges may be referred to as “ornamental grasses” or may superficially resemble grasses, sedges are of a separate family of plants altogether. There are a few easy characteristics to distinguish sedges from grasses: sedges are often found in cold and wet environments while most grasses prefer drier climates, their stems are triangular, and their flowers are generally very subtle.

Look closely during your next visit to the High Line to enjoy this and other sedge blooms along the park.

WHERE TO SEE THIS PLANT
On the High Line between West 21st and West 22nd Streets

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Friends of the High Line raises 98% of the High Line’s annual budget.
Owned by the City of New York, the High Line is a public park maintained, operated, and programmed by Friends of the High Line, in partnership with the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation.